Page 181 - Health Medical Pharma
Delhi HC defers AAP govt's vaccination drive
Justice Vibhu Bakru of the Delhi High Court on Tuesday deferred the vaccination campaign of the Delhi government till further order.The court issued an interim stay on the Delhi government's December 19 circular, which mandated Measles Rubella (MR) vaccination for students from the age of 9 months to 15 years, without the consent of students and their parents. The court will now hear the matter on January 21.The notification of the Delhi government stated that the Chairmen/Manager/Principals of all schools (government, government-aided, private, unaided recognised schools) were informed that the MR vaccination campaign will be held.The said notification also indicated that the vaccination would be administered without obtaining any consent of the beneficiary or their parents.The Public Interest Litigation filed against the order clearly stated that the notification is ultra vires (beyond the legal power or authority) of the constitution and this vaccination campaign can't be ...
Walgreens and Microsoft partner to develop digital healthcare services
(Reuters) - Drugstore chain Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc and Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday they have entered a seven-year agreement to research and develop new methods of delivering healthcare services through digital devices.
Dr Reddy's gets 4 observations from USFDA for Andhra plant
Dr Reddy's Laboratrories on Tuesday said the US health regulator has issued four observations after inspecting its formulations unit in Andhra Pradesh. "The audit of our formulations Srikakulum Plant (SEZ) Unit I, Andhra Pradesh by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), has been completed today. We have been issued a Form 483 with 4 observations, which we are addressing," the Hyderabad-based company said in a regulatory filing. As per the USFDA, a Form 483 is issued to a firm's management at the conclusion of an inspection when investigator has observed any conditions that in its judgment may constitute violations of the Food Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act and related Acts. It notifies the company's management of objectionable conditions. Dr Reddy's shares Tuesday ended 0.38 per cent up at Rs 2,591.95 on the BSE.
A man's heavy sweating led to unexpected diagnosis
A case study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine wrote about how a 60-year-old man who struggled with unexplained sweating episodes for three years was diagnosed with temporal lobe seizures by the doctors.The man, who was otherwise healthy had "an average of 8 discrete episodes of sweating" every 24 to 32 days, the authors said, according to a report published in CNN.He had no other symptoms, and all tests that doctors ran on him returned normal results.During one of his office visits, the doctors saw the man having one of his sweating episodes, where the patient reported he "felt it coming on; he lowered his head into his hands and had slowed verbal responses for approximately 2 minutes."The doctors described his sweating as "profuse" and detailed a pool of sweat left on an examination table.This led the doctors to believe that it might be a seizure and led them to perform an ambulatory electroencephalography, known as an EEG, which led to his diagnosis.The patient has since
36 swine flu deaths reported in Rajasthan
A total of 36 swine flu deaths have been reported in the first 15 days of this month in Rajasthan, health officials said.
921 medical officers appointed to augment health services in J&K
To augment the healthcare facilities in the rural and far flung areas of the state, Jammu and Kashmir health and medical education department on Tuesday issued appointment orders to 921 medical officers recruited on fast-track basis, an official spokesperson said. The department completed the process of recruitment in record time of three months and issued the appointment orders to the selected candidates, he said. To fast-track the recruitment process, the department had made relevant provisions in the rules, which paved the way for making the recruitment process a time bound exercise. The department had referred 1,000 vacancies of medical officers of the Jammu and Kashmir health and family welfare (gazetted) service to the Public Service Commission for making selections, the spokesperson said. After conducting the written examination, the commission finally recommended 921 candidates for selection as medical officers, he said. Out of the total appointees, over 500 were posted in ...
Singaporean companies given severest penalties for data leak
Two related companies involved in the worst data leak in Singapore's history were fined 1 million Singapore dollars (about 740,000 U.S. dollars) in total, Singapore's Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) announced here Tuesday.PDPC imposed financial penalties on Integrated Health Information Systems Pte Ltd (IHiS) and Singapore Health Services Pte Ltd (SingHealth) for breaching their data protection obligations under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), according to a press release issued by the PDPC.SingHealth's patient database system suffered cyberattack in mid-2018, which led to the disclosure of personal information of 1.5 million patients, including Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.In investigating the largest data breach case in the country's history, PDPC found that IHiS1 had failed to take adequate security measures to protect the personal data in its possession and thus has imposed a financial penalty of 750,000 Singapore dollars (about 556,000 U.S. ...
UP min, J&K Guv discuss ways to develop rural areas
A minister in the Uttar Pradesh government Tuesday met Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik here and held a detailed discussion on various issues, a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said. Minister of State for Rural Development and Medical and Health, Uttar Pradesh, Mahendra Kumar Singh and the governor had wide-ranging discussions on the initiatives required for development of rural areas, the official said. The duo also discussed ways to strengthen health care services particularly in the remote areas of the country, he added. During the interaction, the Governor highlighted the crucial importance of strengthening institutions of Panchayati Raj for ensuring development at the grass root level, he said further.
FICCI welcomes government's move to accord 'industry status' to hospitals
Boosts expansion of healthcare infrastructure in tier 2 and 3 cities
Baby girl has to take multiple baths to keep skin from cracking
Jennie Wilklow's daughter Anna has a strange condition. Minutes after she was born via C-section, the newborn's skin began to thicken and crack, creating fissures across her body.Speaking to People magazine, Wilklow said that out of the womb, her daughter's skin became dry and hard, like armour.Wilklow remembers the shock among hospital staff as Anna's eyes swelled shut and circulation in her hand and feet were cut off.It turns out that Anna was born with harlequin ichthyosis, a rare condition that causes newborns to form thick plates of skin, according to the First Skin Foundation.According to experts, the hardening of the skin can dramatically affect an infant's appearance and cause their lips and eyelids to turn inside out. The condition further creates constriction around their chest and makes it difficult to breathe and eat.While the mortality rate for the condition used to be high earlier, medical advancements have allowed survival rates to increase.Treatment for the disease is .
Jaitley in US for medical chek-up
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has gone to the US for what is believed to be a medical check-up relating to his kidney ailment.
Too much or too less sleep can increase heart disease risk
Men who sleep less than six hours a night may be at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who sleep between seven and eight hours, a new study suggests.
Less than six hours of night sleep may up heart disease risk: Study
People who sleep less than six hours a night may be at an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases compared to those who sleep for seven to eight hours, according to a study. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that poor quality sleep increases the risk of atherosclerosis -- plaque buildup in the arteries throughout the body. "Cardiovascular disease is a major global problem, and we are preventing and treating it using several approaches, including pharmaceuticals, physical activity and diet," said Jose M Ordovas from the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) in Spain. "But this study emphasises we have to include sleep as one of the weapons we use to fight heart disease -- a factor we are compromising every day," said Ordovas, who is also associated with Tufts University in the US. This is the first study to show that objectively measured sleep is independently associated with atherosclerosis throughout ...
Vitamin D supplements not beneficial for people over 70: Study
Contrary to the popular belief, Vitamin D supplements are of no benefit to the people over 70, a recent study suggests.Older people are often encouraged to take supplements of vitamin D to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. The researchers have now suggested that there is little benefit for those over 70 taking higher dose vitamin D supplements to improve their bone strength and reduce the risk of falls.Vitamin D deficiency is common in older people, and it may lead to bone loss, impairment of muscle function and an increased risk of falls and fractures.The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, revealed that there was no change in BMD over 12 months between the three doses.However, the study did show that doses equivalent to 40 µg a day are safe in an older population and there was a beneficial effect on bone metabolism up to the highest dose."I would suggest that older people should focus on maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, adequate sun exposure .
Exercise reduces mortality in patients with diabetes
According to a new study, patients with type 2 diabetes should be prescribed physical activity to control blood sugar and improve heart health.The recommendations were given in a position paper (1) of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), a branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The paper has been published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC.Speaking about the study, lead author Hareld Kemps said that sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets are the most important drivers of the increasing number of patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks. The cardiologist at Maxima Medical Centre, Veldhoven, the Netherlands added, "Diabetes doubles the risk of mortality but the fitter patients become, the more that risk declines. Unfortunately, the majority of patients do not engage in exercise programmes."The study notes that one in 11 adults worldwide have diabetes, of which 90 per cent is ..
Sexual minorities more prone to severe substance use disorders: Study
Substance use disorders are more prevalent--and more severe--among sexual minorities, a recent study suggests.Lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals are more likely than heterosexuals to use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs.The research published in the Journal of LGBT Health provides the context behind the issue by examining the severity of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse reported by lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals, and people who aren't sure how they identify."Our findings provide strong evidence that a higher proportion of sexual minority individuals, particularly bisexual individuals and those who are not sure of their sexual identities, have severe alcohol and tobacco use disorders, and those who are 'not sure' also have a higher proportion of severe drug use disorders," said Boyd, lead author of the study.In the past, researchers often focused on any use or misuse of alcohol and drugs, and failed to document the severity of substance use disorders experienced by sexual
3D-printed implant may help treat spinal cord injuries
Scientists have used rapid 3D-printing technologies to create a spinal cord, then successfully implanted that scaffolding, loaded with neural stem cells, into sites of severe spinal injury in rats. The implants, described in the journal Nature Medicine, are intended to promote nerve growth across spinal cord injuries, restoring connections and lost function. In rat models, the scaffolds supported tissue regrowth, stem cell survival and expansion of neural stem cell axons out of the scaffolding and into the host spinal cord. "In recent years and papers, we've progressively moved closer to the goal of abundant, long-distance regeneration of injured axons in spinal cord injury, which is fundamental to any true restoration of physical function," said Mark Tuszynski from the University of California (UC) San Diego in the US. Axons are the long, threadlike extensions on nerve cells that reach out to connect to other cells. "The new work puts us even closer to real thing because the 3D ...
New assistive robot to help elderly live independently
Scientists have created a robot that could help elderly people with dementia and other limitations live independently in their own homes.
Singapore imposes $740,000 fines over major cyber attack
Singapore's privacy watchdog Tuesday imposed fines of Sg$1 million ($740,000) on a healthcare provider and an IT agency over a cyber-attack that saw health records of about quarter of the population stolen. In the city-state's biggest ever data breach, hackers last year gained access to a government database and made off with the records of 1.5 million people, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong among those targeted. An official inquiry last week highlighted a litany of failings, including weaknesses in computer systems and inadequate staff training and resources, and said authorities believe a state was likely behind the attack. The official Personal Data Protection Commission announced it was fining Integrated Health Information Systems, which runs the IT systems for Singapore's public healthcare sector, Sg$750,000. SingHealth, a healthcare provider which groups some public hospitals and clinics, was hit with a Sg$250,000 fine. The commission said the organisations had failed to ...
Novel smart home robot may help older adults live independently
Scientists have created a robot that could help elderly people with dementia and other limitations live independently in smart homes. The Robot Activity Support System (RAS) uses sensors embedded in a smart home to determine where its residents are, what they are doing and when they need assistance with daily activities. It navigates through rooms and around obstacles to find people on its own, provides video instructions on how to do simple tasks and can even lead its owner to objects like their medication or a snack in the kitchen. "RAS combines the convenience of a mobile robot with the activity detection technology of a WSU smart home to provide assistance in the moment, as the need for help is detected," said Bryan Minor, a postdoctoral researcher at Washington State University (WSU) in the US. With the number of adults over 85 expected to triple by 2050, researchers hope that technologies like RAS and smart homes will alleviate some of the financial strain on the healthcare ...